When a bullet pierced through the window of Micalla Rettinger's vehicle and killed her in Iowa, her father jolted awake hundreds of miles away in Florida.Steven Rettinger was in Florida spending time with his father who's fighting cancer, and woke up suddenly about 3:30 a.m. his time Sunday. A time zone away, his 25-year-old daughter had just been hit by gunfire in Waterloo around 2:30 a.m. local time, he said. The shot shattered the driver’s side window of her Jeep and hit her neck, police said. "I must've woke up right when it was happening," he told the Des Moines Register.He told the paper his daughter aspired to become a dentist, and was likely dropping off her boyfriend after his shift at a local bar. Her boyfriend was also shot and is expected to survive, he said."It was shocking and knocked the wind out of me," Steven Rettinger told CNN affiliate KGAN. "She was everybody's friend and she would give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it."Steven Rettinger told KSHB that he believes his daughter spent her final moments trying to save her passengers."She pulled that vehicle over to the side of the road so nobody else died," he said through tears.Police asking for the public's helpMicalla Rettinger was in the car with two passengers when she was hit in the neck, police said. One passenger, Adam Kimball, 32, was injured and is being treated at a local hospital while the third person was not hurt, police said."There is nothing to indicate the victims in this case were in any way involved in any activity that would have caused them to be targeted in this manner," police said in a statement.Waterloo authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying anyone involved in the shooting or who could have been hunting near the Cedar River. They are offering a $7,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the person responsible.Police are also asking for the public's help in identifying anyone who may have been involved in "shooting or hunting (legal or illegal) in the area of the Cedar River between the Highway 218 Bridge and the Conger Ave. Bridge."Kelly Rettinger, Micalla's stepmom, told KSHB that she would forgive the shooter if they were remorseful. "I just don't want to be a year from now and us still, we don't know. We need answers," she said. Rettinger graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2016 with a degree in biology. She was a member of the school's softball team."We are devastated to learn of the senseless death of Micalla Rettinger," said David Harris, the university's director of athletics. "This news is heartbreaking to our softball team ... and the entire campus. Our thoughts and prayers are with Micalla's family and friends."After graduating from Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri, Rettinger went on to become an "outstanding outfielder for the Panthers," according to a university news release. In her junior and senior years, she earned second-team Missouri Valley All-Conference honors, the school said."I am devastated. KK was a pretty special kid to us," head softball coach Ryan Jacobs said in the statement. "I can still see the smile on her face and I remember the way she always thought of other people first in a genuine way. When we had youth camps, she was the one that all of the kids on campus would be drawn to."This is a huge loss to our team and everyone that knew her."The Northern Iowa softball team said it would honor Rettinger with a moment of silence before the home season finale at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

WATERLOO, Iowa —

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When a bullet pierced through the window of Micalla Rettinger's vehicle and killed her in Iowa, her father jolted awake hundreds of miles away in Florida.

Steven Rettinger was in Florida spending time with his father who's fighting cancer, and woke up suddenly about 3:30 a.m. his time Sunday. A time zone away, his 25-year-old daughter had just been hit by gunfire in Waterloo around 2:30 a.m. local time, he said. The shot shattered the driver’s side window of her Jeep and hit her neck, police said.

He told the paper his daughter aspired to become a dentist, and was likely dropping off her boyfriend after his shift at a local bar. Her boyfriend was also shot and is expected to survive, he said.

"It was shocking and knocked the wind out of me," Steven Rettinger told CNN affiliate KGAN. "She was everybody's friend and she would give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it."

Steven Rettinger told KSHB that he believes his daughter spent her final moments trying to save her passengers.

"She pulled that vehicle over to the side of the road so nobody else died," he said through tears.

Police asking for the public's help

Micalla Rettinger was in the car with two passengers when she was hit in the neck, police said. One passenger, Adam Kimball, 32, was injured and is being treated at a local hospital while the third person was not hurt, police said.

"There is nothing to indicate the victims in this case were in any way involved in any activity that would have caused them to be targeted in this manner," police said in a statement.

Waterloo authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying anyone involved in the shooting or who could have been hunting near the Cedar River. They are offering a $7,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the person responsible.

Police are also asking for the public's help in identifying anyone who may have been involved in "shooting or hunting (legal or illegal) in the area of the Cedar River between the Highway 218 Bridge and the Conger Ave. Bridge."

Kelly Rettinger, Micalla's stepmom, told KSHB that she would forgive the shooter if they were remorseful.

"I just don't want to be a year from now and us still, we don't know. We need answers," she said.

Rettinger graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2016 with a degree in biology. She was a member of the school's softball team.

"We are devastated to learn of the senseless death of Micalla Rettinger," said David Harris, the university's director of athletics. "This news is heartbreaking to our softball team ... and the entire campus. Our thoughts and prayers are with Micalla's family and friends."

After graduating from Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri, Rettinger went on to become an "outstanding outfielder for the Panthers," according to a university news release. In her junior and senior years, she earned second-team Missouri Valley All-Conference honors, the school said.

"I am devastated. KK was a pretty special kid to us," head softball coach Ryan Jacobs said in the statement. "I can still see the smile on her face and I remember the way she always thought of other people first in a genuine way. When we had youth camps, she was the one that all of the kids on campus would be drawn to.

"This is a huge loss to our team and everyone that knew her."

The Northern Iowa softball team said it would honor Rettinger with a moment of silence before the home season finale at 5 p.m. Tuesday.